Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-03-02
RUNNING THE MACHINES.
WHAT THE POLITICAL MECHANISM
COSTS IN NEW YORK.


Some Interesting Figures Given by Man
Who Knows-How the Candidate Is
BIed for "Sinews'-Thc Hoosier Dead
Lock-Unexpected Move by a Democrat
Municipal Election Returns.
NEW YORK, March 1.-The Common
wealth club dmed, including its guests, 200
strong, at the Metropolitan hotel Monday
night City Chamberlain William n. Evans
read paper on the use of money in cleo
tons, in which he presented some queer state
ments. The legal machinery Of elections in
this city involves total expenditure Of
1891 900 in an average year, and at least
$780, is added TO this in presidential
years This fund of sol, 900 is practically
used, if not TO purchase, at least to assure
and guarantee the vote of at least ten per-
sons for each election district The election
districts will average about 800 votes, so that
3 per cent of the voters as minimum, are
employed in or about the elections, in ac-
cordance with the provisions of law, and the
election district leaders SEQ that they are
the first men to vote, and to vote right
The district leaders, at the rate cf four for
each election district, are among the 1",74s
office holders whose names are on the pay
rolls Of the city. The different machines for
the purpose of securing their services in per.
petuity get the city to pay them as city en-
ployes. New York city paid its assembly
district leaders last year S'SS' 900, or an av-
erage of "a, 100 for each of the seventy-twc
leaders This estimate includes the estimated
income Of the registers office at 5000 II
is now, however, a fee office, yielding only
$l2, 600 year 10 its chief The amount which
is now being actually received by these lead
ers from the public treasury is $1,000 Oh
this Tammany hall gets Sll9,c00, the county
Democracy SO, 900, and the Republicans the
rest In each case the amount received il
divided among tho district leaders, and f75,
000 more goes to captains, heelers followers,
and hangers on.
To meet these latter expenses the county
clerk, register and other candidates for office
have to pay large assessments to their party
and constituencies The county clerk and
register have got off cheap when they paid
from $4,000 to 10000, and besides gave
office to certain Tetaiuers. In addition, it is
said, Mr.. John Kelly used to make each of
these officers pay him $4,000 a year for
state politics In good years, such as that
after the sale by the board Of aldermen Of
the Broadway franchise, the aldermanic
office was much sought after Aldermanic
candidates were assessed from SIS to s25 for
each election district Candidates for con-
gress pay from $25 to $50 for each election
district. Candidates for judicial offices have
paid as high as $4,000. The assessment
paid by the comptroller in the las.
election was $4,000 Mayor Hewitt paid
sl2,o0 apiece TO the County Democ-
racy and to Tammany hall-s24 900 Mayor
Edson-or there was paid on his account
SIC, 600 each to the County Democracy and
Tammany hall, and $50 to Irving hall
Mayor Grace paid $4,000 to the County
Democracy when he last ran, and in 1880 he
paid sl2,50O to Irving hall and 1880 &c
Tammany hall
An average year sses q total of Szll EG1
paid in assessments This. with the money
distributed by law, results in fifty-six voters
in each election district being under pay, OF
a, 100 In all TINS at the last election when
2l9, g92 votes were poued, over % per cent
Of all the voters received money in one form
or another for their el4ction-iay service.
This total does not include the printing or
expenses of gubernatotHal or presidential
years, when all these figures are largely in,
creased